NejiTen - Meant to Be
by Nimo-Neko
Summary: Neji Hyuga and Tenten have been teammates and friends for over three years, and have respected each other just like any other shinobi. But when observation and emotional incidents take place, the duo start to see more than before. Will they create something meant to be? Or destroy their relationship altogether?
1. Chapter 1

"God I'm tired!" proclaimed Tenten as she and her team entered the gates of Konaha.

Team Guy had just finished a Rank-A mission, and she was sore all over. She could tell the rest of the team was tired, even the wild Rock Lee and his usual energetic self.

As Guy went off to report to Lady Tsunade about the success of the mission, Lee waved his other two teammates off and said, "May you both have a wonderful bath tonight!" He then leaped backwards over a building.

Tenten laughed and shook her head. Even after the few years they had been a team, Lee never ceased to surprise her. She turned and looked at her other teammate, Neji Hyuga.

One could tell by looking at the rings under his eyes that he was exhausted, but he did not show it. He turned and looked at her sideways, saying flatly, "You've injured yourself."

Tenten looked down at her side and found that once again, Neji was right.

She was partially bleeding slightly near her rib, and just noticed how much it actually hurt. Neji gave a slightly amused smile and said, "Come. Hinata-sama will help with your injury."

They walked to the Hyuga Household where Hinata Hyuga, his cousin, was practicing. Neji calmly waited for her to stop, and when she did, he told her about Tenten's injury. Hinata greeted Tenten, then grabbed her hand and took her to a clear room. Neji followed, but turned around at the doorway when he saw Tenten's shirt being lifted above her chest.

"My my!" Hinata exclaimed, "You've hurt yourself more than you think, Tenten!" Hinata then proceeded to heal Tenten's side. "A cut here and here. Goodness, you may know how to work a weapon, but does the weapon sometimes work you?"

Tenten laughed and winced a little, saying, "Yes, a weapon does work me sometimes, but I put it in check afterwards."

Neji heard this, and thought Tenten's comment sounded quite vile. But, he said nothing about it. He had to wonder for a moment as to why he would even think about it in that way.

Tenten thanked Hinata for healing her side and waved as she hwaded towards the Hyuga Compound exit. Neji, still tired yet quite curious at the moment, placed his hand gently on Tenten's shoulder.

"Um... Tenten?"

She turned around to her teammate with a very curious look, and he continued, "I was uh, wondering if I could follow you home. I've never seen it, and I find myself quite curious at the moment." Tenten looked at him with slight amusement, and said, "Sure, why not?"

She went back to walking and after a moment of contemplating, glanced behind her shoulder to find him leisurely walking close behind.

As they walked, Neji noticed that Tenten was leading him towards the gate of the village. He stopped and asked, "Tenten, where are you going?" She turned around and replied, "Home"

"Your home?" He said, "But that's going outside the village."

Tenten looked at him, feeling slightly irritable, and said, "Yes, Genius. Outside the village is where I live. I get peace and quiet a lot out there."

Neji looked at her, too curious to be sarcastic.

 _'The usual superstitious, perky, impatient Tenten actually enjoys quiet?'_

Neji thought she was bluffing.

After a moment, Neji continued to walk to the gate. "Alright then, Tenten. Let's go," he said without looking back. Tenten looked at Neji for a good moment.

 _'What's become of my stuck up and silent comrade'_ , she wondered. But after a moment, Tenten let the thought slide down her shoulder and ran up to the Hyuga.

As the duo walked out of the village, and went deeper into the woods, Neji began to see a river nearby. He then looked at Tenten to ask questions, and to his utter surprise, she looked completely relaxed.

In the years they had trained and hung out, he had never seen her so eased up.

The sight was very new to him, and strangely enough, he enjoyed it. Of course, being Neji, he only enjoyed the sight a little.

As they continued down a worn path in the grass, Neji started to see other types of animals he typically didn't spot in the village. He ended up noticing a pair of deer graze among the grass, shooing away a racoon that hissed at them, and glanced at a stray dog resting under a tree.

 _Quite the interesting place she's living in,'_ Neji thought.

When Tenten and Neji got to her house, Neji chuckled to himself.

It was small, had kunai sticking out on the wood rails, and next to the house was a tree with a target sign on it, also covered in kunai. The river was nearby; at least fifteen to twenty feet from the house. A few flowers rested here and there and the house itself was inviting.

At first Neji had to shake his head at the sight.

None of it seemed right at all for Tenten. As he looked at his female comrade though, his eyes slightly widened at what he saw. Tenten was more than relaxed. She was so relaxed, in fact, that she ended up picking up a flower and smelling it.

He shook his head, feeling like he was in some strange genjutsu, but in the end he couldn't keephimself from looking at her.

Tenten looked at Neji, amused and surprised, and said, "Neji? You're staring..."

Neji quickly snapped out of it and tried to think of the right way to answer. He looked off to his right a little and said, "I've just never seen you that relaxed and calm before, that's all." Tenten blushed and giggled a little before unlocking and opening the door to her home.

What Neji saw inside, he had expected as much. The hallway went down at least sixty feet, and found that a few doors were open.

The house itself had weapons scattered here and there, a few clothes scattered on the ground, and a scroll or two discarded. Aside from that, Neji noticed something else.

The house was empty.

Incredibly empty.

He was used to his home being quiet, but never had expected her house to be as quiet and empty as it was.

"Tenten.. You live alone?"

Tenten turned around and said, "Yep! It gets a little spooky sometimes, but when I start cleaning my weapons, I feel much safer."

Neji sighed, closed the door behind him, and walked down the hall.

He looked to the left of him and saw the living room. _'Surprisingly clean.' he thought._

There was a couch, a chair, fireplace, and small table with a few scattered weapons upon it. He shrugged it off and looked to his left. There, he saw the kitchen. A few dirty and clean dishes out, and the counters and floor were clean. She had one table and two chairs.

As he continued to look at the two chairs, he felt slight pity for Tenten for coming back every day to an empty household.

Neji shook his head a little and kept walking down the hall.

He stopped halfway before he got to the last two rooms and bathroom. There was a side table to his left, and on that table were a few scattered letters and one or two drawings. Up against the wall at the end of the table was a picture of a man, a woman, and a little baby.

Another picture was one of the woman by herself.

And the final two pictures were of Team Guy, back when they were all naïve and one where they're young adults.

Neji lingered at the table a little longer until Tenten started to come out of her room. And she didn't exactly look like the usual Tenten.

A few strands of her hair were down and wavy, her shirt was pink and flurry at the ends, and her green tights didn't look half bad. She topped off her look with light brown sandals and a smile that was quite bright.

"Are you enjoying looking around Neji?" she asked him.

Not knowing what to say, he nodded and walked past her to look at the last two rooms. Tenten looked at Neji and held back a giggle. That Hyuga never ceased to surprise her.

Neji looked in Tenten's room then quickly looked away, trying his best not to blush. He had ended up seeing a black lacy bra hanging from her bed.

The last door was shut, which raised curiosity inside him once more.

He glanced over his back to see where Tenten was, and heard her making a ruckus in the kitchen.

 _'It wouldn't hurt to look,'_ Neji thought.

He slowly turned the knob of the door and opened it, not sure what to expect.

He saw paint.

Paint everywhere; all on the walls, the ceiling, and the door.

There were pictures of fellow shinobi such as Naruto, Ino, even Choji, teachers such as Kakashi and Guy, and even team Guy themselves.

One had all the kunoichi and just the guys in another.

Neji walked in the room, careful not to make and noise, and marveled at what he was seeing.

To his distaste, he eventually saw a few disturbing ones as well. One picture depicted when Naruto and the rest of the Sasuke Recovery Team came back broken and bruised. Another showed when she fought Temari, and when she fought herself and got caught in that sphere of water.

He also saw pictures that were emotionally confusing to him.

Neji came by one showing a child holding two faded hands.

One picture in particular showed darkness surrounding a child.

Neji shuddered involuntarily. He had no idea why she would create those things. But she did, and it made him wonder if he really knew his teammate at all.

The final one he saw was one of him and Tenten. She had drawn him so accurately; it's as if she really looked at his face.

 _'Then again,'_ he thought, _'She does tend to stare at me once in a while.'_

The painting showed him rubbing her forehead, both smiling, both eyes shut. _'What could the painting possibly mean?'_ Neji wondered, _'Certainly nothing romantic.'_

However, the painting wasn't showing anything a comrade might do to another.

Neji's gaze and trance was interrupted by a loud noise in the kitchen. He swiftly went out the room, shutting the door behind him quietly, and quickly went to the kitchen doorway.

Tenten was on the floor rubbing her rear. A latter was on the floor, and two light bulbs had been dropped to the floor and had created a large mess.

He smiled at the sight. _'There's the Tenten I'm used to.'_

He put the pictures and empty rooms to the back of his mind and helped Tenten up. They both then started cleaning up the mess, along with the rest of the kitchen.

Neji was so caught up in helping Tenten that they didn't stop till the whole house was clean.

The last door was not touched for obvious reasons.

Tenten was slightly huffing and puffing, but found enough breath to giggle. "Thanks for the help Neji," she said, "but I'm not sure why you did. I figured you'd be getting sleep or meditating by now."

Neji didn't know how to answer that, so he shrugged it off. She laughed and said, "Well you better head home now. It's just about dark." And with that, she walked to the front door and released a lantern from inside a scroll nearby.

He had almost forgotten about heading home. A weird sensation came over him, but he ignored it and walked out the door. Tenten shook her head and followed close behind, lighting up the lantern in the process.

The walk back to the gates was silent and peaceful.

Tenten was smiling the whole time, which was usual for her. But with what the last of the light would allow Neji to see, he saw that her smile was perkier than usual.

He couldn't help but to smile a little.

After a few minutes, they made it back to the village. "And here we are," said Tenten, as she turned to look at Neji, "Thanks again for the help." Neji cleared his throat and mumbles, "You're welcome." Tenten gave a good punch on Neji's shoulder and started to run off.

"See you at practice tomorrow!" she called out happily.

Neji smiled. He actually couldn't wait for her to show up.

He saw a different Tenten that day, and ended up wanting to get to know his own teammate for once. But a slight pang grew in him.

He knew Tenten would be going back to her empty house alone, and for some reason, that bugged him.

~ End Chapter ~

Nah, not some reason, you dork. Ack, well I hope you enjoyed. Leave a review if you'd like. You'll also find me on Wattpad as Nimo-Neko, or Niomi Begingfield.

Hope you enjoyed! #IFanonNotCanon #NejiTen #SemiOC


	2. Chapter 2

Neji slipped out of bed, feeling aches and pains from head to toe.

 _'Great,'_ he thought, _'Lee's going to toss me like a doll.'_

He almost laid back down until he remembered that Tenten would be at the training grounds. Of course, she always went to practice, but he truly wanted to see her that morning.

His curiosity was rising through the roof about her, and as much as he tried to sleep with a clear mind, she was the only thing on his mind all night. Maybe it was because of those pictures in the hall and room.

Or maybe it was because of how peaceful Tenten was yesterday.

 _'Or maybe,'_ he thought, _'I'm over-thinking it.'_

Neji slipped back into bed with thoughts of going back to sleep, but a knock at his door forced him out of bed once more. He groaned and opened the door without thinking, and standing there were his teammates, alive and hyper as always.

"Yo!" Lee said "We were told to come and make sure you got off of bed! The day is here; it's time to train!" Tenten was standing next to Lee, and that peaceful smile he saw yesterday was replaced by the usual energetic smile. She was blushing and giggling her head off.

Neji looked at Tenten and asked, "Tenten, what's so funny?"

She pointed at his bare chest and boxers. "It seems like you haven't got dressed yet, Neji."

Neji almost turned a shade of red. He shook his head and said, "Well I just got of bed, and I didn't know he wanted us to start this early. So if you both will give me a moment-"

He didn't get a chance to continue, as Lee had shoved his way in the room. Tenten quickly grabbed the cuff of Lee's jumpsuit, pulling him back into the hallway. "Lee, let the man get dressed ON HIS OWN," She said, trying not to laugh.

Annoyed and embarrassed, Neji slammed the door in their faces. He could hear Tenten laughing in amusement on the other side. Lee said "Tenten? What's so funny?" "Tell me the last time you saw your comrade in his underpants!"

Finally getting it, Lee joined in her joyous laughter, finding the whole situation amusing. Neji sighed but smiled.

 _'That wasn't a bad wake up call,'_ he thought.

"Kyaaa!" Tenten shouted, as she lunged at Neji with a staff. He gracefully dodged her swings several times, only to deflect a kick enforced by Lee. The three usually practiced as if they were actually in battle, but something was intimidating all of them that day to give it their all.

After a few hours of brawling, they decide to stop for a moment, even Lee. Neji then went to his usual spot to meditate, Tenten sat where she stood, catching her breath, and Lee simply jogged and practiced a few swings and kicks. Less than fifteen minutes later, they all were right back at it, and stayed at it for hours.

Eventually, feeling tired and a bit irritable, Neji backed up a good distance and held up a hand, stating firmly, "Let's stop for the day."

Lee stopped mid-kick, staring at him for a moment before relaxing his body. Tenten lowered her nun-chucks, holding them with one hand as she exhaled in relief.

Neji then nodded before saying, "We'll continue tomorrow. Guy Sensei said so himself, that everyday we're getting better. And though half the time I don't believe it, I've also noticed it myself. We're in no rush."

Tenten and Lee nodded before proceeding to pick up weapons and fallen dummies. Neji had almost forgotten to talk to Tenten about those pictures in the hall, so he walked to her and caught her wrist before she left.

She blushed hard at this gesture and snatched her hand back quickly. "N-Neji..?" Neji cleared his throat and said, "Apologies, Tenten. I was just trying to catch you before you left."

"What for?" Tenten asked, watching him curiously as her blush faded.

Neji hesitated, before asking carefully, "I wanted to ask you... about those pictures in the hall at your house."

Tenten raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean my family pictures? Sure." She proceeded to sit down near Neji's meditation spot. Neji sat down and glanced at her with expectancy.

She said, "Those pictures are pictures of my mom and dad before they passed away. I keep them so I don't forget their faces." Neji stared at Tenten for a moment. She smiled awkwardly and continued, "I lost my mom when I was a few months old. Then, when I was around the age of two I guess, dad passed on trying to help handle the situation when the nine tails was released. So yeah."

Tenten then shrugged and smiled a bit. Neji felt slightly dumbfounded. It wasn't too much of horrible news, considering he knew what it felt like to have no parents.

But he never thought that something like that could happen to Tenten. Sadly, it happened, and Tenten ended up in a home with no one but her, her paintings, and her thoughts.

"How did your mom die?" he asked carefully.

Tenten sighed and said, "She died of a spreading illness. I might've got taken also, because I was infected as well. But apparently, I survived it." Neji looked at her, unable to hide the pity or sadness he started to feel for her.

But Tenten was exhausted, she didn't even notice.

She then stood up with a yawn and a stretch, saying, "Well I'm going home now. I'll see you later."

And with that, she walked off. This time, he let her go.

Tenten kept a steady pace, and wondered what his true motives were for asking those questions. But she didn't let it linger.

But what she did do was stop to look at the flying insects going past her into the forest. She followed, having a feeling she knew who it was. When she got to the location, her feeling was correct.

It was Shino Aburame, a member of Team Kurenai. He was standing still, which was usual for him, but Tenten could see his eyebrows creased low, which wasn't a really good sign.

He turned around and greeted her as flatly as possible, "Tenten. Hey."

She she frowned and said, "Hey Shino, that's not how you greet someone. What are you up to?"

He turned back around and said, "Guarding. Someone has made it into the village and infiltrated our hospital. The sick and injured have been poisoned." Tenten looked at Shino in disbelief, and not a second later, she asked, "What? Why, h-how?"

"Sakura has already studied the poison, and it has most likely come from the very Sand rebels you and your team fought yesterday. I believe one got away and brought back reinforcements," he replied.

Tenten shook her head and exclaimed, "Dammit! This is our fault; I thought we took out every member of that rebel group!"

Shino stated flatly, "Calm down, Tenten. The Kazekage and his siblings are on their way to try and help handle the situation. Last I heard," Shino's eyebrows raised a bit, "Temari wanted to talk to you as well, since she would be in town."

She looked at Shino, slightly disbelieving his words. She hadn't seen Temari since they saved Gaara. But Tenten was more than sure whatever Temarii had planned, it wasn't positive.

Shino looked at the sky and asked, "Can you do me a favor?"

Neji leisurely walked to his home with plans of relaxing when he heard his name faintly called. He turned around to see Shino walking up to him.

"What is it?" he asked. Shino said, "Your teammate is guarding the wall towards the back. You might want to help her." He then walked off without giving any extra detail. Neji wondered why Tenten wanted to guard considering all that training she just did. He just shook his head and started walking towards where Tenten was posted.

As he got closer and closer, he heard strange noises, and then, a scream that could've been heard for miles. If the scream hadn't gotten shut off seconds later.

Neji wasted no time in sprinting towards the scream, panicking on the inside. He had heard that scream several times before, and it sent thoughts of terror through his mind.

He knew that Tenten was in trouble. Big trouble.

 _'Dammit,'_ Tenten thought, _'I can't die here! Crap, crap, crap!'_

Sand was crawling up her body, planning to seal and suffocate her. A few rebels had caught her outnumbered, and she was tied up tightly; the rebels watching with glee as she the sand covered her.

She looked down in horror as the sand was moving faster, rendering her lower half unable to move about. Tenten shoved all ego and pride in her back pocket and started screaming out for help; begging and pleading for someone to save her.

As the seconds passed by, any hope of rescue faded.

Before she was covered completely, Tenten cursed, closed her eyes tight, and took a deep breath. The sand had covered her all the way up, and started to close itself in. To her horror, the sand was slowly starting to compact itself.

She knew that she had little time before she became nothing but blood, bones, and scrolls.

Just as she thought she couldn't take any more pressure, she heard men yelling and weapons being clashed, and not long after, the sand had suddenly stopped moving and dropped.

On the inside, Tenten was jumping around, grateful that she wasn't dead. On the outside though, she fell to her knees, and was coughing and gasping for air.

Neji kneeled beside her and patted her back lightly. "Tenten, are you okay?" He asked. Tenten nodded and proceeded to get up. When she stumbled, Neji quickly placed his hands on her waist to help keep her up, and Tenten almost lost her breath again.

She was pressed up against him to where she felt his chest up against her back. "I-I'm okay now, Neji. Can you please remove your hands from my waist?"

He blushed slightly and let go quickly, saying, "Sorry. I thought you were going to faint." She nodded again and quickly patted herself down. Neji noticed the slight blush coming across her cheek. But the blush disappeared when she got up, kunai in hand, and prepared to strike whatever was about to come out the woods.

"It's only me," said Shino. He walked towards the two and asked, "What happened here?" Tenten said, "A few of the rebels ambushed me. I got trapped, and Neji saved me at the last moment."

Shino looked up at the sky for a moment before saying, "Go tell Tsunade. She needs to know how quickly the sand rebels are moving. Hurry."

The two gave each other wary glances before sprinting off to go inform the Hokage.

By the time they got to Tsunade's office, the Sand siblings were already talking with Tsunade.

Tenten didn't care. The rebels were moving faster than the few that knew anticipated, and she was scared they'd be too late.

She burst into the office and said, "Lady Tsunade, I need to speak with you! It's urgent!" Tsunade gave Tenten a scornful look and said, "Tenten, I am in the middle of a very important meeting. What is it?"

Tenten noticed Temari's silent chuckle and ignored it.

"My Lady," Tenten quickly said, "the rebels are moving faster than we thought. I was just attacked by almost a dozen." Kankuro looked at Tenten and said, "Impossible. They couldn't have gotten here that fast."

"Tenten was just on the verge of death. Had I not been there to help, you would've had quite a few sand rebels running around here. Not to mention, a dead kunoichi," Neji stated, defending Tenten.

Tsunade held up her hand and stopped him from continuing.

"We will continue this meeting later," she said. "For now, Tenten and Neji. I need you both to rally up the young shinobi and kunoichi and meet at the gate. Because this is your knowledge, I'm putting you both in charge of finding a way to keep as many rebels out as you can. As of now, treat this issue as a large emergency. Prepare yourselves for whatever they may throw at you. Shizune, make sure no one alerts the public about this. We don't need anyone panicking."

"Yes Ma'an," Shizune responded. Tsunade stood up and swiftly walked out of her office.

Temari grinned and walked out behind her, quickly slipping Tenten a note. Kankuro, who was right behind his sister, said, "I hope you two know what you're doing."

Gaara was the last one to pass by them. He said nothing, and just gave a curious glance.

Neji looked at Tenten and said, "Come on, Tenten. We have a village to protect."

 _ **~ End Chapter ~**_

 **How was it? Cringe worthy? Yes, I know. This story is rather old. But no worries, I'll be getting to posting newer stories soon. Remember to leave your opinon about it; it always helps! ^^**

 **#IFanonNotCanon #NejiTen #TheShipStillSails**


	3. Chapter 3

Ino Yamanaka sighed and looked at Tenten in confusion and slight aggravation.

Her teammates, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, watched her with slight amusement.

Sai looked around the gates with alert eyes while Sakura Haruno crossed her arms in impatience, and Naruto Uzumaki stationed himself on top of the main gate with Lee.

Sakura finally became fed up and said irritantly, "Tenten, why was I brought out of the hospital, only to have waited here for over fifteen minutes and so far hear nothing? I still have patients to treat."

"Because," Tenten replied, "Neji is still trying to gather the rest of our comrades. Just be patient."

"Patient?" Ino intervened, "You seriously expect us to be patient? I'm sorry, but we don't wait around for the almighty Hyuga to get here!"  
Tenten grabbed Ino's arm and hissed, "You already know he's not that, Ino. Whatever beef you have with him, now isn't the time to reveal it."

"Oh excuse me, I'd rather not see his highness at the moment; my team was about to head out on a mission!" Ino cried out angrily, grabbing Tenten's shirt.

Sakura jumped in and said loudly, "Okay, that's enough! So what if Neji acts that way, Ino? You'd know all about being all high and mighty, Ino Pig!"

Just when Ino was about to go off on both kunoichi, someone cleared their throat. The girls silenced themselves when they turned and saw Neji. His expression was unreadable and normally Tenten saw that as a bad thing.

Every shinobi there gave Neji their full attention as they gathered around him, rather hesitantly.

Ino and Sakura's expressions showed slight guilt, and Tenten looked as though she just finished eating hot curry with pepper.

Behind him stood Hinata, Kiba Inuzuka and his dog Akamaru, Shino, and the Sand siblings.

Temari glanced at Tenten, but her usual smirk wasn't visible. In fact, she looked tense and worried.

Neji said flatly, "As much as I would like to argue on how I'm the opposite of 'high and mighty', we don't have time for that. We, in fact, have no time for anything aside from the situation currently taking place."

Neji then proceeded to explain the situation with the Sand rebels and patients being poisoned because of them.

Tenten kept her eyes to the ground, still feeling incredibly guilty about the whole ordeal. _'If we had just been more careful in not letting any get away...'_

"What we can do now," he said calmly, "is protect the borders of the village. If word got out that we were under attack, the villagers would panic. As of now, you all have to split into teams of two and stand along the outer border to keep an eye out of any sudden movement. You will be given communicators, but only use them for emergencies. I will also be among the outer borders, scanning the area and receiving reports from all of you."

He stopped talking for a moment to take a deep breath. He then said quietly, "I need everyone to get along for the sake of the village. I can understand that not everyone in this group gets along, but it is no longer about how we feel. I need all of you to be on your guard and trust thy comrade."

"Don't worry, Neji!" Lee exclaimed, "We'll all be on our best behavior!" "Yush!" Naruto agreed, punching his fist. "Let's protect these villagers!"

Sakura sighed and smiled, shaking her head at the two. A few of the shinobi seemed to either relax become annoyed at the duo's sudden outburst. However, Tenten wasn't focused on that. She glanced at Neji, almost gasping at how afraid he looked.

'Is he... Really that scared?' she thought, her fists tightening up. Neji was never scared; always confident. Why was he so nervous about the situation this time? It didn't seem any more different than the missions they'd taken before.

Whatever was unnerving him, Tenten hoped it wouldn't affect his actions later on.

~8~

Tenten sighed, staring the trees down as if they were her worst rival and enemy.

She understood that she had to work with whomever she was placed with, but she felt as if she was placed with Temari on purpose. Temari seemed to think so as well, as she hadn't uttered a word since they were stationed together. Almost three hours had passed since then, and Tenten felt like the silence was going to eat her alive.

However, it seemed as if Temari became fed up quicker than Tenten, as she broke the silence by asking, "Tenten... Do you dislike me in any way?"

Tenten frowned and asked, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Temari chuckled slightly and said, "You do not hide your hostility well. Tell me, does it have to do with me handing your ass to you on a plate at the Chunin Exams those few years back?"

Tenten pouted and said, "Maybe. Or maybe it has to do with the way you act around me, smug smirks and all."

"Smug? Please Tenten. Besides, is that why you keep trying to glare daggers into my soul?" Temari frowned. "No. Wait. Let's stop this. I don't want to argue with you. If we can't be friends or acquaintances, we should at least act like comrades trying to defend a village, even if nothing is going on."

Tenten nodded a little, unsure of how to respond to that. She then sighed, speaking only after a few minutes passed. "I wouldn't... mind... being friends with you, Temari..." The Sand kunoichi gave Tenten a look of surprise. "Really? That is quite the turnaround from moments ago." The brunette rolled her eyes and said, "You're not as bad as I'm making you out to be. I can let go of the past to make friends... And I don't see any reason why we can't get along."

Temari stared at her for a moment before smirking a little. "Agreed." Despite saying that single word, the air seemed to clear up around them. They returned to being quiet again, but it was easier to breathe; easier to relax. The two continued to scout for any sign of trouble for the next two hours or so. However, even after they each took turns in moving farther out with the hopes of seeing any kind of rebel activity, the two resigned to relaxing at their positions.

After yet another hour of seeing nothing, Temari broke the silence. "Hey Tenten." The brown haired kunoichi glanced at her with a bored look. "Yes?" Temari smirked and said, "Why don't we spar to pass the time? It doesn't seem like any rebels will appear any time soon. But I'm itching for a fight."

Tenten looked at Temari like she was crazy. But then she shrugged then said, "Sure. I won't go easy on you though."  
Temari said, "Ooooh, gotten better have we?" They both giggled with wide smiles.

Both kunoichi then proceeded to walk to the empty field nearby, talking softly all the while preparing to give the other the knockout.

They fought hard. Weapons were up against trees, wind was blowing all over the place, and a tree was even knocked down. Both gave it their all with slight intent to kill. Tenten was revved up and actually enjoying herself. While the air did tamper with her skills once more, it also aided her several times. Just as she was about to sprint and strike again, she heard Neji's voice booming over the ruckus they were causing.

"Tenten!"

She and Temari turned around to see Neji about forty feet from them, staring at them in shock. Tenten bit her lower lip, fearing that Neji was thinking the worst.

"Tenten, Temari, what did I say about getting along?" He asked, not expecting an answer. "This isn't about you two, need I remind you. It's about the village. I don't know how or why the both of you would hold a grudge for this long, but now isn't the time to let it out."

Tenten replied "N-Neji! This isn't what it looks like!" Neji's jaw twitch. "Isn't it, Tenten? You're so damn stubborn that I find it hard to believe this is a friendly spar! It is unbelievable how quickly you manage to frustrate me, but I keep forgetting that that's what happens when I get too close. You cannot complete a simple task without accidentally forgetting to bring a scroll or a weapon, or anything vital for the team!

Every word hit Tenten like her own kunai. Before she could protest, Neji interrupted, "Tenten, whatever excuse you've created, I don't want to hear it. I don't have time for this! Our job is to protect the village, and you two are acting very childish! Especially you Temari! I thought you were smarter than this!"

Temari looked as if she was ready to knock him off his feet. "Excuse me?!" Tenten finally spoke up in a desperate manner, "Neji if you would just listen dammit!"

But Neji held his hand up; eyebrows creased heavily. "Tenten, I thought I made myself clear, but I guess not. We will talk later. Pack up your weapons and get back to your posts." He then turned and began to sprint away from them. Temari was about to follow him and blurt out a few choice words, but Tenten's hand gingerly glanced itself on her shoulder.

"Don't. Let him be."

Temari looked at Tenten and saw fury and embarrassment burn in her eyes. But fury turned into fear when Tenten felt something below them move. "Wait. What was that?" Temari frowned, then took a few steps to the left again. "I felt that. Wait.. Don't tell me!-" Realization hit both of them like a brick wall. "Neji stop!" Tenten cried out, the both of them taking off in a sprint as the ground below them started to rumble.

Neji stopped short, his temper all but flaring as he turned to scorn them, but faltered and watched with wide eyes as they ran towards them, both yelling at the same time as the ground below them shook. "What in the name of-! What in the name of Kami is going on?!" Neither kunoichi answered him as they both took immediate action. Temari took out her fan, about to swing with an untapped fury in her eyes, and Tenten nudged her just enough to pause her attack.

"Don't, you'll harm him!" Tenten screeched, tackling him down just as Temari sent a blast of wind at the oncoming sand behind Neji. He was shocked at Tenten's actions, but then understood a moment later. However, that didn't stop the faint blush developing on his face, spreading from ear to ear. Tenten blushed as well, but she was almost too angry and shocked to notice.

The tackle managed to place her on top of him, each hand resting beside his head. However, Tenten quickly shook her head and stood, yanking Neji to his feet just in time to see sand disappearing underground. "I was afraid of this!" Temari snapped. "They're using the ground under us to go undetected!" "Why didn't I think of that?!" Tenten exclaimed, "Temari, we have to warn the others!" "Way ahead of you!" Temari said, using the communicator around her neck. "We have rebel movement underground, I repeat, we have rebel movement underground! Gaara, it's time to flush out some trash!"

Neji, still recovering from what happened, stated, "Temari, go help your brothers; I think I may have an idea of the main entrance that they're using." Temari nodded, sprinting off immediately.

Tenten opened a scroll, releasing several kunai and daggers from it. Satisfied with the amount, she sealed them inside the scroll again. She then looked up at Neji with sad eyes. He almost flinched at the look, scorning himself moments later. "Tenten..." "We should join the others. This area is secure enough." She then stood and rolled up her scroll, running away seconds later.

Neji felt his chest tighten at her abrupt dismissal of a conversation that barely started. Maybe she had a right to. _'I shouldn't have snapped. Maybe I didn't notice the full picture at first... I have to properly apologize.'_

 _~8~_

As Tenten sprinted towards the village gates, several rebels suddenly jumped her, much to her surprise. However, her comrades, her friends, were ahead of the dangerous game. Hinata hit several of them back, standing beside Tenten as she asked, "Tenten, are you alright?!" "I'm fine," she practically snapped, feeling incredibly bitter as she started to attack those who weren't paralyzed yet, taking them down quickly.

Hinata looked at Tenten and said, "Everyone is at the gates and fighting them! We should join them now!" "Agreed," Neji stated, approaching them hastily. "Hinata-Sama, Tenten, are you alright?" Both kunoichi nodded, following Neji the moment he took off.

When they reached the battlegrounds, Tenten was amazed to see so much sand near her village. She noticed her sensei and the other teachers fight gracefully, not even breaking a sweat as they fought. However, something else baffled Tenten. She'd never seen so many sand rebels before! She didn't think there were that many.

Naruto was with his team, working gracefully and in sync with Sakura's punches. Shino's bugs went to work, effectively killing a few rebels all the while backing Kiba and Akamaru as they fought. Ino had taken over a rebel, catching several off guard just enough for Choji to roll them over. Shikamaru's shadow clones worked together with Kankuro as he manipulated his puppets; Shikamaru's shadows being the back-up he needed.

"Keep them in this area!" Sakura shouted, slamming down two rebels at a time, "Gaara will be here soon!"

Tenten joined in the battle, immediately noticing something really strange with the rebels. Those that were attacked and killed were rising up again! It was as if their bodies were being willed to

The most brutal team out there was Team Gai, fighting as if mercy didn't even exist for them. With Tenten and Neji's emotions all over the place, and Lee's concern for the safety of his comrades, the three fought like beasts with no restraint.

Neji, most of all, was probably the most emotional out on the battlefield. He cursed himself as he tried his best to defend Tenten. He felt guilty, angry, lost. Why did he even care? He never cared so much before he went to Tenten's house. But his thoughts on that died the moment he watched Tenten kill rebels that just wouldn't die.

He had to protect her. He _would_ protect her.

~8~

The battle led on. Gaara finally showed up and took down a huge number of rebels. But they just seemed to keep reanimating. Temari shouted for everyone to hang tight before running towards Sakura. Taking the hint, the pink haired kunoichi knelt before pushing Temari high into the air the moment the blonde's foot touched her hand. Lee assisted in pushing her up higher, jumping up and allowing Temari to jump off his hands.

With a large battle cry, Temari sent out large blasts of piercing air, attacking several enemies and temporarily knocking them down. The waves were so strong, that discarded everywhere. Many shinobi had to take cover.

Tenten, however, was too slow in finding a place to take cover. She let out a small cry when a katana all but impaled her side. Rock Lee and Neji were by her side in moments. Temari yelled out, "Gaara and I will end this now! Everyone stay clear of his sand!" The man in mention made his appearance, seemingly ready for the kill.

Tenten got up painfully and said, "I-I'm fine. Hurt, but fine! Let's go!" She started sprinting further into the forest, and the other kunoichi and Shinobi, ones she called friends, followed her closely. They continued to try and push the rebels, alive and undead, back, avoiding Gaara's sand as much as possible. Tenten could overhear the screams of rebels, and she knew that as always, the Sand Siblings were beasts.

The battle ended up in the same area team Gai fought the sand rebels days ago. One by one, shinobi had to retreat from the fight due to low chakra or mortal wounds. Tenten herself was losing grip of her weapons. She could feel the bloodloss taking effect over her.

Out of the blue, about a dozen rebels jumped her. Tenten tried to fight them off only to scream in pain when one of them stabbed her from behind with a dagger, pushing it deep into her skin.

Neji couldn't think properly let alone speak. He was frozen, the only thing pulling him from that shock being another rebel raising his blade, aiming for Tenten's back.

"TENTEN!"

~8~

 _ **This took forever to edit and even longer because I didn't save. Gosh darn me. Either way, enjoy that cliffhanger. XD I don't post weekly so don't expect that, but don't expect me to take forever. After all, this story is simply being edited, not remade. Leave a review, tell me if you liked it or didn't.**_

 _ **Until the next Update! #IFanonNotCanon #NejiTen #TheAngstIsReal** _


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